This piece of furniture is a contemporary take on the humble Charpai/Charpoy, an archetypal Indian rope bed, literally meaning four legs (Char= four, pai=legs). Done for the Archetype MyType project during Spring 2017, this project aims to capture the essence of what a charpai is and fuse that with my interests in minimal structure, compound geometry and doubly curved surfaces.

Char Quarter attempts to re-imagine what a 21st century rope bed would be like in the modern context based on our present needs while still referencing the logic and method of making developed over hundreds, maybe thousands of years. Hence it serves a more specific function as a relaxing day bed with it’s hammock like surface unlike the multi-utility charpai which was used in different parts of the house throughout the day. It inherits the attributes of the traditional archetype such as simple joinery, lightweight and durable construction for ease of moving, and a woven seating surface which can be re-tightened.

The name borrows from the split turning method employed to create a subtle reference to the spindle turned legs, the method of wood measurement which is peculiar to the United States ( in quartered board feet instead of cubic feet), and the Indian pun for a full measure of a liquor bottle.

Materials:

European Beech and fabric spaghetti cord